For a moment, Uchiha Sasuke's house was buzzing with energy.
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara sat sipping tea, while Senju Tobirama was swarmed by a gaggle of kids…
The twelve genin were making the most of this rare opportunity. After all, this was the legendary Second Hokage!
Getting guidance from a Hokage wasn't something just anyone could experience.
So, they bombarded Tobirama with every question they had about their training…
Tobirama was starting to regret agreeing to this. Back in the day, he'd taught a group of kids, and now, after being revived, here he was teaching another batch!
Was he just destined to be surrounded by brats his whole life?!
Even as he grumbled inwardly, Tobirama patiently answered the genin's questions…
The more he explained, the more impressed he became. He could tell these twelve kids were absolute prodigies!
In terms of training, they were just as talented as his own students from back then!
If they kept growing, they could all become Hokage-level powerhouses in the future.
Nearby, Ito Hirofumi was wondering if Sarutobi Hiruzen might be using his Telescope Technique to spy on what was happening here. If he did, what kind of face would the old man make when he saw the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and Uchiha Madara all hanging out together?
But Ito was overthinking it. Sarutobi didn't have time to snoop!
It was already late at night. After dealing with Mizuki, Sarutobi was ready to call it a day and rest. But then, a group of frantic tycoons stormed into the Hokage Building.
Every single one of them was there to commission a mission.
And their requests? Identical to the ones before: their money had been stolen!
After finally sending the tycoons away, Sarutobi thought he could catch a break. But then, his old pal Danzo showed up in his office.
Danzo fixed his single eye on Sarutobi, who was seated at his desk…
"Sarutobi… don't you owe me an explanation for what happened tonight?!"
Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe.
"Danzo! What are you talking about? Explanation? What kind of explanation do you think I owe you?!"
"Hmph!!! You know exactly what I mean! The Scroll of Seals was stolen! By a bunch of kids! As Hokage, don't you think you owe me an explanation?!"
Bang!
Sarutobi slammed his fist on the desk.
I'm the damn Hokage, and you want an explanation?! People might think you're the Hokage!!!
"Danzo! Did I hear you right?! You're an elder of the Leaf Village, and I'm the Hokage. An elder demanding an explanation from the Hokage?! You've got some nerve!!!"
"Sarutobi! Don't throw a tantrum! If you can't keep the Scroll of Seals safe, why not store it at my Root? My Root will protect it just fine!!!"
Danzo's true intentions were clear. He'd come to pressure Sarutobi, hoping to get his hands on the Scroll of Seals!
If he could secure it, his Root would grow even stronger!
His Root would become the biggest Root!
Sarutobi saw right through Danzo's scheme. He just wanted the scroll for himself…
"Danzo!!! This isn't your concern! And your Root seems awfully idle lately. If you've got nothing better to do, maybe it's time to disband it?!"
Danzo's lone pupil contracted slightly.
He hadn't expected Sarutobi to threaten to shut down his Root…
"Sarutobi!!! You'll regret this!"
"Danzo!!! I'm the Hokage!"
Bang!
Realizing he wouldn't get the scroll today, Danzo stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
---
Meanwhile, in a town far from the Leaf Village…
Two middle-aged men walked through the streets under the cover of night.
They were Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Fugaku.
Both had used the Transformation Technique to disguise themselves, and they changed their appearances after every heist.
"Little Black! How much money do we have now?!"
Uchiha Fugaku grimaced at Minato's nickname for him…
Given their sensitive identities, they couldn't risk being overheard, so they'd come up with codenames for each other. Minato's "Little Black" was Fugaku.
But Fugaku couldn't shake the feeling it sounded like a dog's name…
"Big Yellow, I counted earlier. We've got a little over 1.3 billion so far!"
Minato's eyelids twitched at Fugaku's codename for him. "Big Yellow" sounded even more like a dog's name than "Little Black"!
"That should be enough. Even the past Hokage-level shinobi in the Leaf Village wouldn't have had that much. 1.3 billion should be plenty to summon Kushina and Mikoto."
Fugaku nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it's about time. We've been out here for half a month. I really miss seeing my son, Sasuke…"
"I'm missing Naruto too," Minato saidbur. "Let's head back then. We'll give the money to Hirofumi and see if he can summon Kushina and Mikoto."
"Sounds good… but should we deal with that little tail following us first?"
"Heh… yeah, it's about time. They've been trailing us since yesterday. Probably after our money, right?"
Minato and Fugaku shared a cold smirk…
They'd noticed it yesterday, after robbing another tycoon. A ninja had been following them from a distance.
Judging by their chakra, the ninja wasn't weak, but they weren't exactly a threat to Minato and Fugaku either.
Taking them out wouldn't be a problem…
The ninja's outfit was odd, though—not standard shinobi gear, but a high-collared black cloak with red clouds. Looked like they were part of some organization.
Minato placed a hand on Fugaku's shoulder…
Flying Thunder God Jutsu activated, and the two vanished in an instant!
---